2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Solbrig
A Scandinavian surname derived from a place name meaning "sunny ridge."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Solbrig. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Solbrig surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Solbrig in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Solbrig, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Solbrig
The surname Solbrig originates from Norway, dating back to the 10th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse words "sol" meaning sun and "brig" meaning a bridge or causeway, possibly referring to a location or landmark.
In the 13th century, the name appears in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian diplomas and charters, suggesting its early usage and recognition.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name was Thorvald Solbrig, a Norwegian farmer born in 1325 in the Trondheim region. Records indicate he owned land near a sunlit causeway, potentially contributing to the origin of the surname.
Another notable bearer of the name was Ingrid Solbrig, born in 1487 in Bergen, Norway. She was a prominent merchant and ship owner, known for her successful trading ventures along the Norwegian coast.
In the 16th century, the name Solbrig appeared in the Icelandic Annals, a collection of historical records from Iceland. This suggests the migration of individuals with this surname to Iceland during that period.
During the 17th century, Hans Solbrig, born in 1612 in Trondheim, was a respected navigator and cartographer. His detailed maps of the Norwegian coastline and fjords were widely used by sailors and explorers of the time.
In the 18th century, the name gained recognition with Nils Solbrig, born in 1756 in Stavanger, Norway. He was a prominent philosopher and writer, known for his works on ethics and social reform.
As the name spread across Europe, variations in spelling emerged, such as Solbrigg, Solbrigh, and Solbrigghe, reflecting regional differences in pronunciation and record-keeping practices.
Throughout history, the surname Solbrig has been associated with various professions, from farmers and merchants to navigators and intellectuals, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Solbrig
Among Census respondents with the surname Solbrig, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Solbrig bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Solbrig surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino6.8% · 7
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Solbrig
Solbrig appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-7 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,344 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-12 bearers (-10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,041 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 15,344 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -12 bearers (-10.4%) | Down 10,041 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Solbrig surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #144,141 | #154,182 | -7.0% |
| Count | 115 | 103 | -10.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Solbrig bearers went from 115 to 103 (-10.4% change). The surname moved down 10,041 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #154,182.
FAQ
Solbrig surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Solbrig?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Solbrig. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Solbrig?
Solbrig ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 103 people with the surname Solbrig. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Solbrig.
Has Solbrig become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Solbrig went from 115 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Solbrig?
Among Census respondents with the surname Solbrig, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Black (1.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Solbrig in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Solbrig appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Hispanic (6.8%), Black (1.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Solbrig (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Solbrig mean?
A Scandinavian surname derived from a place name meaning "sunny ridge." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Solbrig (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Solbrig?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.